Which Canuck in their NHL prime (other than Bure or the 2011 team) would you add to this year’s team?: Canucks Conversation
1 month ago
On Wednesday’s episode of Canucks Conversation, David Quadrelli and Harman Dayal discussed which prime Canuck they would add to this team given the chance.
The obvious answer, Pavel Bure, was quickly ruled out. “The answer is always Pavel Bure. No matter what team it is, it could be the middle of the Willie D era… Pavel Bure. So I’m going to change this a bit; You can’t pick anyone from the 2011 team or Pavel Bure. Who are you adding to this roster?” proposed Quads.
The Case for Bertuzzi
Quads immediately championed a power forward: “I think it’s a simple answer: Todd Bertuzzi. This team still needs a top-6 winger, you put Todd Bertuzzi on J.T. Miller’s wing? That’s a dominant line.”
Harm echoed the sentiment: “Yeah, I was thinking about Naslund, but Bertuzzi at his prime was pretty unstoppable. I wish I was older so I could remember actually watching those guys. I definitely did watch them, but I don’t have the memories of watching and really thoroughly understanding what prime Naslund looked like versus prime Bertuzzi.” He acknowledged, “I know when the West Coast Express was rolling, they were obviously both among the best players in the NHL. To compare each of them for which would be a better fit, that’s really close.”
Naslund in the Modern Era
The debate shifted to who would thrive more in today’s NHL. “Is it crazy to say that prime Markus Naslund would have more success in today’s NHL than prime Todd Bertuzzi would?” pondered Quads.
Harm contemplated Naslund’s goal-scoring prowess: “I don’t think so, look at how elite a goal scorer he was with a wooden stick. Imagine him with these composite sticks that get so much flex.” Yet, he didn’t discount Bertuzzi’s unique skillset, “But even then, Bertuzzi would be such a unicorn that I don’t know if defensemen would know how to defend a guy like that.”
The rule changes in the modern game became crucial: “That’s a good point—they wouldn’t be able to commit as many infractions on him anymore,” added Quads.
An Impossible Decision
“I’ll be honest, I don’t know the answer,” Harm admitted. After much deliberation, the hosts found themselves at an impasse. Quads stuck with his initial choice: “This is so interesting. It’s an endless conversation, impossible to say. I’m going to lean toward Todd Bertuzzi.” Harm, for the sake of the debate, leaned towards Naslund.
The conversation wrapped up by acknowledging other potential contenders. “There are plenty of names that could be included in this conversation. Guys like Alex Mogilny, Trevor Linden, and Kirk McLean- although the Canucks wouldn’t be looking to replace Demko rather than adding a name from the list.”
You can watch the full replay of the show in the video below:
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